Commercial and industrial heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment is typically mounted on a roof or other exterior, generally horizontal surface associated with the facility whose air is to be treated by the equipment. Depending on the specifications and characteristics of the equipment, as well as its manufacturer and the location for the equipment, the size and footprint of the equipment is subject to significant variability, as is the mounting surface to which the equipment, through its mount, is attached. The equipment is not placed directly upon the roof or other surface, but is supported thereon by a framework or “curb”. The curb is fastened to the roof and the equipment is then mounted to the curb. Conventional curbs, while supporting the equipment weight, typically are incapable of isolating vibration or noise, or withstanding seismic forces or wind loads.
Because of the variability in equipment footprint, the curb utilized to mount a specific piece of equipment must be matched to the equipment's footprint size. Proper matching either requires a plurality of differently sized curbs to be inventoried, or requires custom manufacture of the curb, either at a manufacturing plant or at the installation site, to accommodate the specific equipment being mounted. Neither alternative is efficient or cost effective.
It is accordingly a purpose of the present invention to provide one equipment curb able to conform to a variety of equipment footprints, thus permitting standardization of curb construction while providing significantly adaptability.
A further purpose of the present invention is to provide a universal equipment curb capable of being independently adjustable in a plurality of dimensions or directions to accommodate equipment of varying sizes and varying slopes of the surface to which the curb is mounted.
A further purpose of the present invention is to provide an adjustable curb of economical construction and great adaptability, while affording a rigid mounting system capable of supporting the equipment and having provision for vibration and noise isolation, seismic force sustainability, and wind load resistance.